Driving investments and decent job creation in Rwanda 

Rwanda is transitioning to a knowledge-based economy, prioritising education and digital transformation. As part of this effort, the Government of Rwanda has identified the Global Business Services (GBS) sector as a priority due to its potential to create high-quality jobs and drive economic growth. GBS involves outsourcing business functions to external providers, enabling companies to optimise operations while accessing specialised skills. It includes Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), such as customer support, technical assistance, and back-office operations, as well as Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), such as software development and IT support. The GBS sector offers decent jobs that are well-paid, with social protection benefits and career advancement opportunities, which is particularly significant in a country characterised by a high level of informality. In Rwanda, GBS operators benefit from a young, skilled workforce, low attrition rates, and a distributed, remote-capable team structure that ensures operational continuity without disruptions. Unlike traditional industries restricted by geographic limitations, GBS investors can leverage the country's strong communication and IT infrastructure and business-friendly environment to overcome these barriers.  

The sector has grown remarkably. Expanding from 2 companies in 2019 to 38 in 2024, the sector employed over 3,500 people, 48 per cent of them women, at the end of 2024. 1,500 of the jobs were created in 2024 alone, reflecting a 73 per cent year on year growth.  

Rwanda's education system is aligning with the demands of emerging industries like GBS. However, challenges remain in addressing skills gaps and meeting global standards. The availability of suitable talent at scale is one of the main obstacles to the sector’s growth. Moreover, Rwanda is still a relatively unknown destination for international GBS operators. Since the industry is driven by major international companies, promoting Rwanda as a GBS location and attracting new companies is crucial for the sector’s development.

To address these challenges, the GBS Growth Initiative was launched in September 2023. The initiative was established by Invest for Jobs, the not-for-profit social enterprise Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, and the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Rwanda Development Board.

The GBS Growth Initiative is a multi-stakeholder initiative that provides support and guidance to both new and existing GBS investors, fostering a sustainable GBS ecosystem in Rwanda, while positioning the country as a leading GBS hub globally. By driving job creation, promoting exports of business services, and strengthening public-private partnerships, the initiative aims to deliver long-term economic impact. The initiative operates under a three-pillar mandate:

• Investment promotion: The initiative proactively identifies priority companies, engages with international investors, and develops promotional materials showcasing Rwanda’s GBS potential. In addition to organising both inbound and outbound GBS events, it actively participates in international GBS forums to foster global engagement.
• Talent development: The initiative ensures that skills programmes align with industry demands by coordinating training efforts, evaluating provider effectiveness, and offering insights to improve the quality of training programmes. It also identifies gaps in skills development to address evolving demands in the sector.
• Policy advocacy: By consolidating the voices of GBS operators, the initiative presents unified regulatory proposals and sector updates. This approach facilitates smoother government responses to industry needs, focusing on employment and revenue growth.

With the financial and technical support of Invest for Jobs, the GBS Growth Initiative aims to create 1,000 good jobs, train 500 individuals, and attract three new international GBS companies in Rwanda by June 2025. An advisory board with representatives from government, private sector, and ecosystem players oversees the progress, addressing sector challenges effectively. In addition, Invest for Jobs is supporting Harambee and the GBS Growth Initiative to pilot a BPO skills training programme for 120 people, where at least 75 per cent of them will be placed in good jobs.  

In its first 18 months of operation, the GBS Growth Initiative has achieved significant milestones. More than 60 GBS companies and training providers joined the initiative as active members. By fostering collaboration across the industry, the initiative has contributed to the sector’s development positioning Rwanda as a global GBS destination. Since its launch in September 2023, the initiative has successfully attracted new companies to invest in Rwanda such as TeleTech (TTEC), a leading BPO company, Ojemba, a subsidiary of the German software development company MaibornWolf, and the German ITO company Moyo Consulting.  

Moreover, the initiative developed a comprehensive investor playbook providing critical insights into Rwanda's business landscape and investment opportunities. To further attract investment, an in-depth report is being developed to provide insights into the current state of Rwanda’s ITO and BPO sub-sectors. To meet workforce needs, the GBS Growth Initiative and Harambee developed a standardised training curriculum for entry-level BPO roles. The first cohort of 53 people successfully completed the BPO training programme supported by Invest for Jobs in February 2025. The second cohort of 40 people started the training in March 2025.  

In June 2024, the initiative and Invest for Jobs hosted the first German-Rwandan IT & Business Services Summit in Berlin, followed by networking events in Hamburg, Darmstadt, and Munich. These events connected over 90 European companies and stakeholders with Rwanda’s GBS operators. As a result, Moyo Consulting established a local presence in Kigali, and the Rwandan operator Awesomity lab and Ojemba secured new client contracts.  

The Global Business Services Growth Initiative is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the framework of the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition” on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).